martin



(No Model.) 2 Smeets-Sheet 2.

D. W. MARTIN.

QRIB.

No. 582,215. Patented 'May 11, 1897.

v Nrrnn STATES ATENT Erica.

DANIEL YVEBSTER MARTIN, OF DAYTON, OIIIO.

CRIB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,215, dated May 11, 1897.

Application filed August 13, 1896l Serial No. 602,627. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern-.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL WEBSTER MAR- TIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county 0f Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cribs; andIdo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to an im provementin folding cribs; and it consists in, first, a folding crib composed of longitudinal rods having turned-up ends, end plates, and folding end pieces, which are adapted to be closed down upon the tops of the rods when the crib is to be folded either to be packed away or for transportation; second, U shaped sliding wires which are attached to the central rod and which can be forced inwardly upon the rod to allow the crib to freely swing or can be forced outward and made to catch over the supporting-frame to prevent the crib from having a swinging movement, but which will allow the crib to vibrate vertically; third, in the arrangement and combination of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter, whereby a folding or knockdown crib is produced.

The objects of my invention are to produce a folding crib which can be closed up without turning a screw or nut and placed in a small box, thus enabling one to take it along wherever the child is taken; to produce a crib which has both a swinging and a vertical play and which is provided with means whereby its only motion is converted into a vertical one, and in which the crib itself is suspended entirely by means of springs, so as to give an easy vertical play at all times.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a crib which embodies my invention complete. Fig. 2 is a detail end view of the crib alone. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the rods and end piece and showing how the end piece is folded down when the crib is to be packed into a small space. Fig. 4 is an end view of the frame from which the crib is suspended. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the supporting-frame. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the slide by which the crib is kept from swinging. Fig. 7 is a detached view showing the metallic suspension-piece by which the crib is suspended and by which the end piece of the crib is held in an extended position.

A represents the end posts of l[he supporting-frame, and which are supported in position by pivoted supporting-braces B in the usual manner. These posts are also rigidly connected by means of the two parallel rods C D, both of which have plates E F secured to their respective ends, and which plates are provided with slots for catching over projections G upon opposite sides of the posts.

The upper ends of the posts A are provided with the vertical slots H, in which the suspending-hooks I are clamped by means of the thumb-nuts J and the shoulders K on the hooks. These hooks I are vertically adjustable in the slots, so that the crib L, which is suspended from the hooks by means of the coil-springs lll, can be adjusted vertically to any desired height above the floor. These springs M support the crib entirely, and While they allow it a free vertical elastic play also allow it a free lateral movement. The crib being supported entirely by the springs always has an easy elastic movement that is entirely free from all sudden jarring motions.

The frame of the crib is formed of any suitable number of longitudinal rods or bars N of any desired length, the three central ones being provided with upturned ends O, to which the folding end pieces P are hinged or pivoted in any suitable manner, and which end pieces are pivoted at their upper ends to the metallic plates Q. The three rods or bars N just referred to form the bottom of the crib, While the two outside bars N' form the sides of the crib, as shown in Fig. 2. These two rods or bars N' have the end pieces P hinged or pivoted directly to their ends Without the intervention of the turned-up ends O,

and these end pieces Pl are pivoted to the end plates Q. The central end piecePis rigidly secured at its upper end to the end piece or plate Q and has its end project above the top edge of the piece or plate Q, s0 that the suspension-hook R of the suspending device S can be hooked directly into it. The suspension device S consists of a rod of suitable length, which has its center formed into a loop P and its ends formed into the hooks IOO T, which engage with the eyes U upon the end pieces P. These suspension devices S serve to hold the end pieces of the crib in an extended position, so that they cannot possibly close, and at the same time form a means of attachment with the springs M, as shown in Fig. l. The hooks R are formed of separate pieces of wire, as shown in Fig. 7, and have their upper ends coiled around the loop P.

When the crib is not desired for immediate use or when it is to be folded up into a small compa-ss, the suspension device S is detached from the end of the crib by freeing the hooks T from the eyesU and the hook R from the upper end of the central piece P, and then the end pieces P I" are folded together, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and then the pieces l? P are folded down into the horizontal position shown in Fig. 3, so as to take up as little space as possible. Over the framework above described is secured a suitable outside covering V, and to the inside of the Vframe is applied any suitable lining V', as shown in Fig. l.

If desired, the end coverings may be made so that they can be turned back at any time, so as to give access to the parts shown in Fig. 2; but this is not a necessity. The mattress or other bedding placed in the crib will cover and pad the rods or bars N, so that they Will not be felt by the infant lying upon them.

As long as the crib is suspended from the springs M it has both a free lateral swing and a vertical play; but in order that it shall have r only the vertical play bent Wire rods W, as

shown in Fig. 6, are applied to opposite ends r of the central rod or bar N by having the ends of the Wire or rod lV passed through eyes X, secured to opposite sides of the end of the bar, and these bent Wires XV can be moved back and forth in a line with the eentral rod or bar M. Vhen these bent wires are forced backward into the position shown in Fig. 3, they do not interfere with the swinging movement of the crib; but when drawn outward, as shown in Fig. l, they catch upon opposite sides of the post A and prevent the crib from having any but a vertical movement. XVhile prevented from swinging by the Wires W', the free up-and-down motion communicated by the spring is not interfered with in the slightest. These Wires W also prevent the crib from tilting and keep the crib in an upright position under all circumstances.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A crib composed of a series of longitudinal rods or bars N, the central ones of which have upturned ends O, combined with the hinged or pivoted end pieces P, and the end plates Q, to which the upper ends of the end pieces P are fastened, substantially as speciiied.

2. In a folding crib, the rods or bars N, which are provided with the upturned ends O, and the end pieces Phinged or pivoted to the upturned ends,.combined with the bars N the end pieces P andthe metallic plate Q to which the upper ends of the end pieces are pivoted, substantially as shown.

3. A folding crib provided with suitable eyes upon its end piece, combined with a suspensionrod which has its ends formed into hooks to engage with two of the eyes, and a central hook R, which is applied to the rod at its center and which is connected at its lower end to the crib, substantially' as described.

t. A suitable suspension-frame, and a crib suspended therefrom, combined with bent endwise-sliding rods or Wires which are adapted to catch over the frame, and prevent the crib from swinging, substantially as set forth. In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL WEBSTER MARTIN. IVitnesses:

JOHN BIRCH, JOHN J. Iloovnn. 

